One more from the left: Free Republic Pulls Thread Bashing Malia Obama

DailyKOS ^ | Fri Jul 10, 2009 | by CatM

[Jim Robinson]

Yesterday, theHalfrican posted a link to the Free Republic Website where several of its regular members were bashing Malia Obama for wearing a peace symbol t-shirt. The thread had several derogotary, racist, and sexual remarks about Malia. It also included a picture of Michelle Obama speaking to Malia that was accompanied with a racist caption.

I wrote the media contact at Free Republic yesterday, kristinn@bellatlantic.net, questioning the nature of the posters and the site:

Hello. I am an independent writer developing a book about the grassroots conservative movement online, of which your site, Free Republic, is included as a primary online gathering place for conservatives.

Could you please tell me how the owner of the site feels about posts like this one:

http://www.freerepublic.com/...

...in which conservatives who post regularly at the site make several racist statements about the 11-year-old daughter of President Obama for wearing a t-shirt adorned with a peace symbol? Remarks included the following:

"We’re being represented by a family of ghetto trash." "Looks like a bunch of ghetto thugs. A stain on America."

"Looks like a typical street whore."

"What we now are sending the ghetto over to represent us. and if so who the hell is that flea bag who looks to be dragged from the trash dumpster."

"you could go down any ghetto right now and see exactly the same."

"could you imagine what world leaders must be thinking seeing this kind of street trash and that we paid for this kind of street ghetto trash to go over there"

"the world must be laughing like mad right now at that we have this kind of street trash in our white house."

"Wonder when she will have her first abortion."

"sad isn’t it that we now have ghetto street trash over there representing us in Europe."

"This disgusting display makes me more and more eager for the revolution.

"They make me sick.... The whole family... mammy, pappy, the free loadin’ mammy-in-law, the misguided chillin’, and especially ‘lil cuz... This is not the America I want representin’ my peeps."

In addition, the thread includes a picture of Michelle Obama speaking to her daughter with the caption, "To Entertain Her Daughter, Michelle Obama Likes to Make Monkey Sounds."

Before you dismiss this as only a minority of posters at the site, out of 100 posts on that thread I found only 1 that criticized such remarks. This is not the first time I have seen such an exhibition of blatant racism at Free Republic by members who regularly post there.

Here are my questions:

Does Free Republic condone this type of exercise in free speech?

Are these the type of participants Free Republic is happy to have posting at its site?

What is Free Republic's policy about posting racially offensive comments?

What is Free Republic's policy about making sexual insinuations about minors (particularly relevant in light of the David Letterman/Sarah Palin brouhaha)?

Does Free Republic believe its membership accurately represents the conservative movement?

Does the owner of Free Republic believe this kind of discourse is helpful to rebuilding the Republican Party and furthering its goals?

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your responses.

went back to the site today and saw that the offending thread has been pulled "pending review."

http://www.freerepublic.com/...

I do note that Free Republic has a disclaimer on the first page that claims it does not condone this type of post; however, I am not sure when the disclaimer was added. Does anyone know?

From the disclaimer:

Opinions expressed on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Free Republic or its operators.

Please enjoy our forum, but also please remember to use common courtesy when posting and refrain from posting personal attacks, profanity, vulgarity, threats, racial or religious bigotry, or any other materials offensive or otherwise inappropriate for a conservative family audience.

Free Republic is a site dedicated to the concerns of traditional grassroots conservative activists. We're here to discuss and advance our conservative causes in a more or less liberal-free environment. We're not here to debate liberals. We do not want our pages filled with their arrogant, obnoxious, repugnant bile. Liberals, usurpers, and other assorted malcontents are considered unwelcome trolls on FR and their accounts and or posts will be summarily dismissed at the convenience of the site administrators.

Free Republic does not advocate or condone racism, violence, rebellion, secession, or an overthrow of the government.

So, the site will readily delete posts from liberals just because they are liberals and therefore everything they say is automatically considered "arrogant, obnoxious, repugant bile."

But comments calling an 11-year-old black girl "ghetto trash" and a "whore" are pulled "pending review." What is to review? Your site either supports that kind of rhetoric or it does not. Which is it?

If the Free Republic's "conservative family audience" consists of people who say such things as they often do (like yesterday), how conservative are they? And how family-oriented are they? Where were all the posts from other Free Republic regulars or from the owner of the site decrying this kind of racism directed at a child for no apparent reason than the fact that a peace symbol t-shirt inflamed their hatred to disgusting depths, like a red handkerchief in front of a mad bull?

Conservatives continually reinforce the fact that the only families they care about are conservative ones; the only troops they support are ones that do not vote democratic; the only children whose lives they value are the children of conservatives or unborn. How many of those aborted fetuses they claim to hold so dear would they trash had they been born and grown into a pre-teen who wore a t-shirt with a peace symbol or supported a liberal president? Or was gay?

The truth is that conservatives do not know the meaning of Jesus' words despite how much they love to use them when it suits their inner hatred of all those who are different. Worse, they lack basic human decency, as they demonstrate time and again.

[cripplecreek]

I wouldn’t want to follow the example of the left.

[buccaneer81]

But should their being black leave them open to racial slurs and stereotypes?

Perhaps we should address the issue of people calling others "white trash" and "trailer trash." I do not condone racism, but humor is by nature confrontational, and stereotypes are based in reality.

Leave the kids out of it, recognize that not all members of a group share the same traits, but also drop the PC nonsense that has infected America. The Obama fist bump is a good example. Is it racist to mention it? In my opinion, no. But the PC crowd begs to differ.

[Cyber Liberty]

I actually agree with you on this. I think the American peoples’ sense of fair play is going to be brought to bear. in the end.

[linton59]

agreed. What gives it away to me is their bringing “the teachings of Jesus” into it. How typical. Don’t you love being preached at by a secular-humanist-atheist about the Bible?

[cripplecreek]

I’m all for getting down in the mud and playing dirty when it comes to democrats and mediatards. Dig their dirt and expose their secrets. I just draw a line at the children.

[Stentor]

If someone wakes up in the morning to kill you, wake up earlier and kill him first"

Exactly. All of this "we're better than that" twaddle is why we are losers.

[EBH]

Mr. Ronbinson,

I do respect and have been grateful for a place like Free Republic to visit and interact with people who for the most part hold my values.

I stand by what I posted and it goes for any politician. You put your kids up there and out there, especially if they are potentially making a political statement; there are consequences.

Was Malia making a statement? Malia's handlers & parents should have known better. If Malia had been attired in something completely different...would anyone have even noticed her? I suspect not and the "comments" would not have surfaced.

I understand and sympathize with parents of stubborn tweeners, but they(Malia & Sasha) whether they like it or not are representatives of the United States.

This symbol:

I am sure you understand is highly offensive to some people. Does it mean Malia shouldn't wear it? Does it mean those offended by such hippiesheek should be quiet?

The answer to both is No. The responsibility to both is there are consequences. Malia wasn't being picked on because of her race, she had been singled out for her statement clothing. And whether the left likes it or not there are consequences, as unpleasant for Malia as they may be.

I do feel badly for Malia as an adult in her life failed her on the world stage, but such is the administration we have.

[Jim Robinson]

It’s not her fault her parents are America-hating Marxists.

[bfree]

I fully agree.

[bfree]

That doesn’t exempt them from acting out as American hating kids.

[JillValentine]

I have a list of “troll signs.”

Be suspicious of anyone who:

- Repeatedly misspells words, and/or constantly uses poor grammar.

- Claims to have been in prison.

- Claims to be a former or current drug addict and/or alcoholic. These are all things designed to make us look like a bunch of thugs and criminals.

- Tries to incite violence.

- Has “88” as part of their screen name. “88” is neo-Nazi code for “Heil Hitler” (H being the 8th letter of the alphabet). This generally indicates a white supremacist Stormfront troll, or a DU/Kos troll pretending to be a white supremacist.

- Talks a lot about how much they “hate” Obama, Democrats, etc. Liberal trolls wrongly believe that conservatives are all about hate, therefore, when they pretend to be us, they’ll constantly talk about hate. Because we really aren’t about hate, the trolls will stand out like turds on snow.

- Refers to FReepers as “you people” or “you guys.” This shows that the poster does not see himself as one of us.

- Uses debunked myths as part of an argument.

- Refers to every Republican, even conservatives like Fred Thompson or Sarah Palin, as a RINO. That way, they can pretend to criticize Republicans from the right while they’re really attacking them from the left.

[alarm rider]

I have to be truthful here. I think it is high time we played the game like the lefties play the game, only with more gravitas. I am tired of being told “we are above all this”, “”we can't become them”, “we are better then them”.

It's a different day folks, stuff has changed. It's not working, we need to be more aggressive, not less aggressive. They are fearful of a vocal and an aggressive smack down. It's time we put the fear into their dark hearts. I refuse to be timid in the face of this leftist crap, and I will die on my feet before I live on my knees.

Stand up dammit.

[Costumed Vigilante]

Yep, we can get dirty but going after the children is beyond dirty.

I hope you'll take consolation in your high-minded stance as they bayonet your kids.

You people really have no idea what's in control of this country right now.

No idea whatsoever.

[chevydude26]

I saw that thread and i thought a lot of the posters were stupid acting like hypocrites....but how in the hell is daily kos trying to take a moral stance when their posters do much worse

but yeah you guys should have acted more mature...no matter where you are the internet is going to be filled with ignorant hateful comments...we’re better than that damnit...step your game up my fellow conservatives stop acting like dumbocrats

[cripplecreek]

Apparently there are morons like you who think its OK to target innocents.

You don’t like it, take it up with the owner of the forum, he’s the one who posted the thread.

[DJ MacWoW]

Hubby calls the peace sign the great American chicken symbol. We hate it too. But I won’t go after a child for ignorantly wearing it. She has no idea what it represents.

[EBH]

I agree, but as her parents actions have consequences. Like I first stated if the parents put her up to it, it is abuse as far as I am concerned. If they didn’t, but didn’t bother to ‘check her dress’ it borders on neglect.

Would a conservative parent let their 11 year old daughter where “whatever?” Would any other world leaders for that matter?

I am not saying the comments were right, but I am pointing out that the issue rests with the First Family’s actions.

[EBH]

But I won’t go after a child for ignorantly wearing it. She has no idea what it represents.

A child ignorantly wearing it is not a target. At eleven years old, I'd say she has a darn good idea what it means and given the circles her family moves in...she knows.

I work around liberal type kids all day. The 'peace' symbol stuff is trendy right now. Some kids wear it for the trend, others though know exactly what's up.

[ohioWfan]

The KOS author couldn't mention the many people saying the kids were off limits because it wouldn't fit their agenda.

The kids should be off limits because it doesn't do a thing to get their father out of the White House.

THAT has to be our goal.

[SuziQ]

Like the left has refrained from bashing Sara Palin's children? C'mon Jim. They can do it and we can't?

We think the nasty comments made about Sarah Palin's children are reprehensible. If we claim that those comments shouldn't be made, why should we make them about That One's kids?

I don't believe turn about is fair play when it comes to kids.

Now I'll comment about That One's idiotic behavior and Michelle's dumpy clothing, when she's raised up as some sort of fashion icon by the MSM, all day long, but I WON'T bring their kids into the discussion, except to compliment them about their clothing, or defend their travels with their parents. THEY are not the issue. That One's destruction of our country is.